A Good Story
by Red Tale
Summary: G1. How did Bumblebee ,standing barely six foot high with the fighting ability of limp celary, end up one of the elite Autobots? It's a good story.
1. Chapter 1

**A Good Story - Red Tale**

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_"The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."_ - Dante

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For the first millenium or so of civil war, pockets of Cybertron remained unaffected, the inhabitants continuing their peaceful existence with the intention of remaining neutral. Bumblebee lived in such a pocket and carried out such an existence, but eagerly followed whatever reports on the Autobots and Decepticons he could get, a passion others around him not only didn't share but discouraged. Only two matched his enthusiasism, a set of twins named AT1 and KI3. Because of this Bumblebee would consider them his best friends in his beginning life, although they shared no other interests. As the war around them intensified, the limited reports would become more compelling, and scraps of information would have the three spending a whole cycle at the outskirts of the city in deep discussion of the exploits of different sides, and the major players. Optimus Prime and Megatron were studied at length.

But even the twins had their limits. When the debate turned from events of a far-away war to what was to be done in their own city, they drew the line.

"They're not coming here, we don't have any resources near here, we're not strategic", AT1 snapped in frustration.

"We have ourselves", Bumblebee insisted, "We have troops. Both sides need that. If we don't convince our populace to side with the Autobots…"

"Drop it, Bumblebee", KI3 growled.

"How can you see what's happening to our race and just stand by-"

"I said drop it", KI3 repeated, his grey eyes flashing. AT1 folded his arms in frustration.

"Maybe if you'd been around before the war you'd appreciate that "our race" is inherently neutral. These Autobots and Decepticons are just…"

"Programmed wrong. To fight a war is to go against our programming…"

"…Against the Matrix."

Bumblebee considered the pair before him, they weren't much older than him, especially by transformer standards, only about 300,000 years. He could appreciate the elders, those more than a couple million years old, that is just about every other transformer in the city, holding onto what used to be the way of life, refusing to recognize the change coming, but not these guys.

"If we allow the Decepticons to turn all this to evil-"

"They won't", AT1 replied.

"It will end soon. They're not going to take over the world."

"But they are, city by city, and the Autobots need-"

"Drop it, already", the growled in unison.

And so he did for them. But not for himself.

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Alright you all, beginning of the first Transformer story I've ever done You gonna let me have it now, or reserve judgement until the end?


	2. Chapter 2

_"Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."  
_- Mark Twain

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Finding that he couldn't bring the twins to help him persuade the elders, Bumblebee took it upon himself to align his city by keeping vigilance around the borders. At the first sign of approaching war, he would bring evidence before the others with enough time to mobilize them. He didn't have the fuel reserves to travel far distances, plus he had no battle experience, so to actually join the Autobots…well, it just wouldn't compute, even to one so full of youth and passion.

He only dared patrol the equivalent of a hundred miles, knowing that if he did find anything he would need to be able to get back quickly. But this was more than the city itself did, there were no guards posted despite the surrounding war, just a few transformers assigned to basic protection, based only on their size and not on their bravery or skill. They had no way even to test such features, their attention went mainly to those who could design and build new infrostructures.

In his flying mode, scanning the surrounding areas for cycles on end, Bumblebee expected to find something soon, a Decepticon ship flying over, an area scarred with gunfire, even perhaps a dead warrior discarded. But none of his scenarios involved a living battle. When he heard the lasor fire twenty miles out, the source blocked by unused metal structures, at first he wasn't sure even what it was, until its rapid succession. The oil in his body chilled, almost stalled, and he instinctivle transformed into robot mode, although argueably he was safer as a small glider.

The lasors stopped. Bumblebee stealthily approached the area, readying his audio and visual mechanisms that, until now, had frankly seemed rather useless compared to what other transformers were able to do, sort of the equivalent of a human with the talent and calling to work with dried Macaroni Art. There had never been anything to record in his city, no reason whatsoever to do it, and he'd only had the beginning notion that his Matrix-given talent would serve any good when coming up with his scouting idea. Now it was all he could do not to kiss the transceiver imbedded in his arm as he listened to the conversation, safely hidden from the combatants on the other side. Still, the fact that this was not one, but at least two or three Decepticons warriors so near to him made him nervous. He would stay for a few minutes, than quickly and silently make his way back to the city. This was too many too close.

"End of the road, Autobot", a voice hissed.

"Let's slaughter him and get back."

"We've got time, and I've got an idea."

"Optimus Prime will find you…", a voice vowed, weak in strength but strong in spirit, "The Autobots will crush your base."

It hurt Bumblebee to hear this and not be able to rush out and stop them. It hurt more to hear the Decepticon laughter, quiet giggles at first giving way to all out glee. Curiosity came over Bumblebee, and he peered out, sure that his size compared to the Decepticons would keep him out of their sight line. Most of the transformers in his city were bigger than him.

Bigger than him…what a joke! Four Decepticons towered above him. It was one thing to come only shoulder high to friends and neighbors in a small community, but to realize that the whole Decepticon Army was comprised of transformers twice as large as him…

His eyes lowered to the tortured form on the ground, a transoformer that, when standing, would also be twice as large as Bumblebee. He used his visual recording to get the face, and centered for a moment on the Autobot insigna. He had seen it once projected at the city hall, these are the fighters in one side of the war, the caption read, they won't hurt you. Beware the others.

The Autobot, from his position on the ground, saw him, and their eyes locked. The Decepticons didn't notice, laughing as they finished attaching four glowing chains of energy to the Autobots appendages.

"It doesn't matter what you do to me", the Autobot said, slightly louder now, "Because your base, in the Alpha-Cy1 quadrant, just west of here, it won't remain secret for long. And when we destroy that, you'll have to retreat to Beta-tri."

The decepticons made no reply, instead they transformed into ships, forms large enough that Bumblebee could almost fit inside one, and armed with missles and capable of higher flight than Bumblebee. Then each took off in a separate direction, each pulling a different portion of their captive.

The brave Autobot did not scream, and he had time to do so, it would be almost a whole minute before his body would be quartered, and even then life still showed dimly from his eyes in the piece that had his head. It was then that Bumblebee realized just how small and weak he was. Four Decepticons would pull him apart in seconds, snap him like a twig. One Decepticon could probably split him in two with out straining a gear shaft. He retreated, covering his optics, almost wishing he had remained confined to his city, let the war come to him instead of seeking it out.

The Decepticons left, carrying the dismembered autobot remains between them, their laughter trailing in the wind. It made his oil run hot and cold, fear and courage alternating. He transformed and flew back to the city, to the city hall. He managed to rally a few hundred to witness what he had, played it back for them on a projector, but this…moved no one.

"This doesn't concern us", one of the transformers in charge of protection answered, "It's outside the city, it was a battle between two fractions, it doesn't involve innocents."

"We need to tell the Autobots about this base, so they can destroy it."

Silence. Greater than silence. Angst. Finally one of the leaders of the city, a leader in terms of governing resources and building structures, spoke.

"If we do that, it becomes our war. In fact you've already done enough, already tried to draw us in, singlehandedly. What were you doing out there anyway, except to pick a fight with those Decepticons. Do you think we haven't already seen reports of their brutality, that we need one more?"

"I…it is our war", Bumblebee replied.

"We're not Autobots."

And greater silence still, before Bumblebee spoke again.

"Maybe…maybe I am."

He transformed and flew out, the others parted and let him pass. He saw the twins, who had come to see the video, but they only glanced at each other and made no move to join him. Not sure what to do, he headed back to the same area, and then on…west.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Strike hard and fast, Autobots! For Liberty, For Peace-"_

_"For goodness sake, Bumblebee, just shut up and fight!"_

- Yesterdays Heroes, Transformers #60

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"Anyone can destroy a base", Bumblebee thought to himself, "In fact, my smaller size would be beneficial. I can sneak in there and plant explosives. They'll never know what hit them."

His confidence grew the farther away from the city he flew.

"Imagine, a Decepticon base brung down by a single…little me. What irony."

He flew close to the ground and used the structures of the area to his advantage, but he wasn't too worried. The Decepticons weren't expecting him, wouldn't know to look for him. His only problem was fuel, he needed more.

And he found it. A supply line leading from a source in the ground to a smooth metal globe blended into the surroundings.

It took some time to find the opening, a hidden shaft leading underground. He wondered now, what to do, keep going, hoping to run into an Autobot army that he could lead back here or…destroy it himself. Sure anyone could blow up a base with enough explosives. He had none.

Debating this still, he had to leap out of the way and hide as he heard the roar of transformer engines. Shortly two Decepticons in ship form emerged. He trained his audio censors on them. He recognized one from the earlier group, distinctive red markings and a particularly high pitched voice.

"Hurry, we'll miss all the fun", he urged, "The others have probably deactivated all the resistance by now."

"Relax, Starscream", the other replied, "There's plenty left. Those new recruits have outdone themselves handing this city over to us."

"Yes, remind me to congradulate them personally."

That was all Bumblebee got before they flew out of range. Then he turned his attention back to the matter at hand, infiltrating this base. If all the Decepticons had left, well, that made the decision a lot easier. Still cautious, he explored the entrance and went down. It was designed to accomadate them in ship mode, slanting down and then straight into the entrance. Bumblebee transformed and flew in, staying low and scanning aggressively. No signs of transformers here, and there were no traps, sensors or anything. Apparantly they didn't think there was a need.

The base itself was one large room, probably able to hold fifty Decepticons with minimal accomadations, a recharge center which Bumblebee immediately helped himself too, a stock of weapons and an area for extracting more energon from the planet. Here too were the remains of the Autobot warrior discarded in a corner, the life gone from his eyes, his oil pooled underneath.

"I'll avenge you, don't you worry", Bumblebee said outloud, then, noticing another transformer head in the pile, assumingly also an Autobot, he added, "You too. And…anyone else whose parts are in here."

'I can't believe I had to say that', he thought dismally. 'Decepticons are just evil.'

Examing the weapons, he found a set of explosives. He had no military training and knew nothing about these items, so he had no idea how strong the blast would be, or how much he needed. Deciding to pay it in full, he studied the explosives enough for a working knowledge, and set them all. Then he transformed and flew away, back East, back home.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Silverbolt is a true leader. He shows no sign of fear before the aerialbots, despite his phobia of heights. His concern for their welfare – and the autobot cause itself – gives him little opportunity to consider his own weakness."_ – Optimus Prime reflecting on Silverbolt – GI/Transformers #1 1987

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The explosion hit him about half way back, with such force he transformed and rolled over on the ground as the cloud of debris engulfed him, along with a smug sense of satisfaction.

"I did it", he yelled, "I blew it up! Take that, Decepacreeps!"

He would have yelled more but the dust molecules interfered. He transformed back and, finding his sight blinded, relied soley on guidance controls.

"Funny", he mused after a while, "I should be almost back to the city now, and the cloud's still thick. In fact…it's getting thicker…"

The source now, he realized, was not the base several miles behind him but fires that raged directly in front, from his home city. And from the light of the fires burning through the haze, he saw shapes looming over all, blasting building, causing death and destruction at every turn.

Speechless, he transformed into robot mode, and remained paralysed watching this scene. Distantly he heard some screams. He couldn't identify their owners, but he knew only a few screams meant only a few members of this once vibrant city still functioned. And not for long.

There wasn't anything he could do here. He turned to leave, but something caught in his peripheral vision. Movement, transformers closer to his side than the others, a pair, twins…

"AT1", he called, trying to be discreet in case any Decepticons were near by, "KI3. Quick, escape with me."

They turned together. Unique among other types of transformer twins who shared a spark, they also shared their design, identical in build. But now there was a noticeable difference, one bore the decepticon insigna on his left leg, the other on his right. Bumblebee didn't see this, he was looking in their eyes and all he needed to know reflected back at him in a red glare.

"What have you done?", Bumblebee gasped.

"We picked a side", KI3 replied simply.

"Noooo!", he screamed, charging the nearest, AT1, who easily deflected his blows and restrained him, forcing him against a wall so he could hold a gun point blank to his chest, and KI3 aimed at his head.

"Bumblebee…", AT1 sighed, "Bumblebee…"

"Go ahead, kill me", Bumblebee dared.

"That's not what Decepticons do", AT1 told him.

"First we torture", KI3 explained, blowing Bumblebee's right horn off.

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A/N: Hi, glad this story is working for so many of you. Reviews are like energon to me, so keep em coming. I know the chapters are short, I guess they're modeled after the original show, as soon as you reach a good cliffhanger...cut to commercial.


	5. Chapter 5

_"You know, I have to admit that I kind of liked you, kid. Sure, that wide-eyed optimism can be a bit annoying, but your got gumption, and that goes a long way to earning my respect…"_ – Starscream to Bumblebee, Transformers G1 DW, #5

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In all his life, short as it was, Bumblebee had never experienced excruciating pain. Once he had crossed a power supply line and received a mild shock, enough to keep him a safe distance from such things but no lingering side effect. His sensors didn't know how to handle this sensation, balancing between numbing him with shock and overwhelming him a throbbing ache. He blocked this out and kept focus on AT1, remembering the bravery of the Autobot warrior as he faced his death. He would not scream.

"Optimus Prime will find you", he declared, "The Autobots shall destroy you."

AT1 blasted Bumblebee in the chest with his weapon, a gun which had already proved destructive on larger transformers. The small transformer slid to the ground and offered no movement, a gaping mortal would in his chasis.

"Well…that was…satisfying", KI3 stated. AT1 nodded, surveying the crumbled frame.

"He had nerve", AT1 finally said, "He looked me in the eyes to the end."

"Yeah, but he would never have made a Decepticon."

AT1 seemed about to reply, but was interupted.

"Kill, Joy", a Decepticon voice called, "We're heading West. There's been a report of an attack on one of our bases."

"Right boss", KI3, now under the codename Kill, answered. Both transformed into sleek vehicles, their unique ability being their ground speed, faster than most planes.

Bumblebee lied on the ground, sensing they had left but unable to get up or do anything but stabilize his lifesystems and berate himself for charging into such a foolish fight. Had he relied on his spying ability a little longer, he would have seen the twins for what they had become, and that information too might have been useful for the Autobots. Now they would no nothing of what had happened to their comrade, to the secret Decepticon base, to this city…he had failed them and they would never know.

The city burned around him, no life remained here but his, and it was ending. He could slow the pumping of his oil but he couldn't stop it, it steeped out from his wounds. He turned most of his sensors off but concentrated on staying conscious, determined to live as long as possible, to hold onto the recordings he had.

From sheer will he lasted half a cycle, longer than most of the fires. Still in preservation mode, he didn't hear the voices until they were almost right on top of him.

"Another "neutral" city wiped out" a voice that sounded old and battle weary remarked.

"When will they learn, comrades? The Decepticons won't spare them", someone else noted remorsefully.

"Anything of value here, IronHide?" , a third voice, with neither of the heaviness of the other two.

"No", the battle weary voice replied, this time actually on top of him, and Bumblebee willed his hand to move.

"No", the voice continues, "Just more death. I wish…I wish I could just go up to every transformer who insists on being "neutral" and…and grab them and shake them…"

"I know", one of the other voices replied, "I remember my city. Only twelve of us, out of a population of five-hundred, only twelve…I know we should pity them but…"

At this point Bumblebee succeeded in reactivating his optics, verifying the autobot insigna on the tall red transformer directly in front of him before tapping on his foot.

"No one wants to be involved in war, CliffJumper", another voice counted, "I only joined so we could end this sooner, go back to the way things used to be."

"It's never going back, Mirage", the larger red transformer said, oblivious to the tapping, "things change. I've been around a long time now and…hey, what the-"

He responded to Bumblebee's focused attack his ankle joint. Once he had his attention, he tried to speak, but could barely get out a whisper.

"Aw, slag, one of them's still alive. A little one. Looks pretty young", The Autobot looked him over, "Sorry, buddy, we only have medical supplies for our troops."

The other two approached, and Bumblebee was somewhat heartened to see that one was only slightly bigger than him, in fact very similar in design but all red, and definitely tougher looking. The other, a white and blue one, knelt down and hesitantly touched him, but Bumblebee couldn't respond. He stopped tapping, it used to much effort.

"I'll put him out of his misery", the smaller red one said, "Can't leave him here like this."

He readied a gun. Bumblebee tried to speak to the white one.

"I de…stroy…ed…the base…me…and…have..."

"Cliffjumper, wait", the white one insisted, leaning closer, "What base?"

"...Info...mat...ion..."

"Information? What?"

The white one took his hand, so instead of talking, Bumblebee used the proximity of the white Autobot's wrist port to transmit the information he'd kept stored. The Autobots optics widened.

"He needs a medic. We have to save him."

"Mirage, we can't use our supplies on neutrals", the tallest one replied adamantly.

"He's not neutral", was all Bumblebee heard before his energy gave out.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Do not judge a warrior by stature or action until you truly understand that which drives him"_ – transformer proverb, possibly part of the covenant of Primus.

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Bumblebee next found himself inside a large well lit room, scattered with piles of transformer parts, but not in the horrid way of the Decepticon base. This looked like a repair bay, a place Bumblebee had never had to visit before. A friendly looking transformer…an Autobot, stood over him.

"Well, look whose online", a cheerful voice greeted Bumblebee.

"Where am I?", Bumblebee wondered, and then turned to examine himself, the hole was repaired, and, feeling his head, his horn was back.

"We're in Delta Nine. Nearest Autobot base to your city."

"You fixed me? It looks good as new."

"Thanks. Name's Wheeljack. I'm an Autobot inventor, but in these times of war I'm a mechanic. We've all been wanting to know your name, Mirage said you managed to tell him quite a story."

"Bumblebee", he answered, shaking hands.

"Bumblebee? Never heard that before. Does it mean something?"

"I don't know. It's the one I was created with", Bumblebee shrugged. Once again he marveled at the repairs on his body, everything worked perfectly.

"This is really amazing, Wheeljack. I thought I was slag for sure."

Wheeljack beamed. His design didn't allow for a smile, but his eyes seemed to convey the appreciation.

"You know Optimus Prime is here. He wants to talk to you himself."

"Optimus Prime? The leader of the Autobots?"

"The one and only. You feel up to it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Is he going to ask me to join?"

"I got the insigna paint right here waiting for you."

"How long have you been an autobot?", Bumblebee inquired, hoping to aleive his nervousness by learning more about his new comrade.

"Oh, almost from the beginning. I was a scientist, and Megatron recruited researchers first. I was young, new, didn't even really know the other mechs, but I knew right from wrong, and I got a couple to join the Autobots with me. The rest went to the 'Cons. In fact Mirage says you had footage of one of my old associates, goes by the name Starscream. Looks like he's a luitenant now, that information is very valuable."

"I'm just starting to learn how to use my skills"

"You know most of us don't have the kind of equipment you got, Mirage only has standard transmittion, he could read what you gave him but he couldn't play it back for us. He can make himself invisible but he can't function as a spy the way you could, and heck you're so small you're almost invisible right now. Man, we can use you."

"Indeed."

Bumblebee looked up at the imposing form of Optimus Prime, another transformer twice his size and probably way more than twice his age, with a voice that conveyed all of the battles he lead, all of the warriors he had lost, and all of the heart invested in the Autobot cause.

"Optimus Prime, it's an honor", Bumblebee said, "I…my name's Bumblebee."

"It's an honor to meet you as well. You destroyed a Decepticon Base, identified key figures in their army, and fought valiantly for our cause, all with out being a part of our army. I can't wait to see what you will do after joining."

"I won't let you down", Bumblebee vowed.

And so begins Bumblebee's adventures, and ends our story.


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